All I Want
by Karren
Summary: How far would Stephanie go to have a baby "with" Ranger? OOC
1. Chapter 1

I do not own anything from Janet Evanovich I just like to play with the Characters. I do not own anything from the band Heart whom this story is loosely based on.

SSSSSSS

Walking down the dimly lit church I wondered what I was doing here. I haven't really stepped foot inside the church since three years ago when I finally married Carlos. Oh what a grand celebration that was, Ranger didn't spare no expense even though I protested. It did however feel nice to wear the dress I always dreamed of to walk down the aisle to my hot very fine looking husband to be who was standing there waiting for my arrival.

I remember that day so well; I don't think I'll ever forget it as long as I live. The church was packed to the brim of family and friends. Even all of the other RangeMan's came to watch us and probably some of the not so very dangerous skips. Everyone had to come see for themselves that Batman was finally getting his Wonder woman. Something we both said would never happen. Well I guess things change.

Another change hit us both by surprise. Two years after we were married, id began to feel differently on a subject I've always been adamant against. I knew Carlos had pretty much said he felt the same as I did so I just kept my thoughts and feelings about it to myself until one night while in bed he turned onto his side and laid his strong hand onto my stomach.

"Babe?" he asked

"Yea?" I asked watching as he ran his hand over my stomach

"Stephanie I love you very much"

"I know you do and I love you very much also"

"I know we both pretty much said that we didn't want children but recently I've been doing a lot of thinking about it. I think I may want to have one with you, well I KNOW I want one with you"

"Really?" I asked in surprise

"Yea I'd love to create a child with you, my wife. Our child a little part of you and a little part of me, I want to watch you grow big with our baby, and know I put it in there. I want it all Steph, what do you think Babe?"

"Well that is a big surprise but I have a confession to make. I've had a change of heart about it also. I've never told you because I knew from our past we both really didn't want a child or children"

Carlos nodded his head telling me he understood what I meant. I lowered my hand to rest on his that was splayed over my stomach. He watched as I curled my fingers around his hand.

"Soo?" he asked his dark eyes looking into mine

"Yes"

I watched my husband smile a smile id never seen before. I've seen him smile his two thousand watt smile before but this one was different. Before I could give it much more thought, I had a big strong Cuban over me kissing me for all its worth and thus began our baby making plans.

We were so happy, every time we made love or had sex we just knew it could be the time that our baby could be conceived. After everyone of our sessions together and there were many, Carlos would lay a gentle kiss on my stomach in hopes that something would have been created, but month after month we were so disappointed when my period showed up announcing to all of us that all our work was in vain.

"It's ok Babe. Bobby said these things take time. We'll start again when this cycle is over"

"You talked to and told Bobby about this?" I asked in disbelief

"Well Babe he is the company Medic"

"Yea but he doesn't understand the female body and its issues. I barley do and I am one"

"Maybe not all of the ins and outs but since meeting you years ago and now you being my wife he has learned a few things"

"Oh like what?" I asked throwing my hand up in the air and then placing it with the other on my hip

"That it could just take a while and maybe it's not happening because of the stress of trying so much and our jobs"

"Carlos nothing against Bobby because I love him dearly and he has helped me so much in the past but from now on I'll confer with my gynecologist if I have any questions. In fact ill call her now"

"But Babe, Bobby was going to deliver the baby" he said and my eyes nearly bugged out of my head

"Not a chance in hell am I going to have ANY of your men down there" I gritted out

I knew my temper was from a mixture of disappointment that my period had come once again; my hormones were up due to PMSing, and from the stress of trying to get pregnant only to fail month after month. I was lashing out at Ranger, he gave me his patented two thousand watt smile and I turned on my heels and left the room.

"Only teasing Steph" he called out after me

Yea like this is funny. Why was it taking so long to get pregnant? Both Carlos and I are in relatively good health so what's the problem? I sat down in the den and picked up the phone. It rang twice before someone picked up.

"Hi this is Stephanie Manoso, I'd like to make an appointment with Dr. Masso. Yes Friday at three is fine thank you, see you then"

When I saw Dr. Masso I explained what was going on and what we were trying to do, she nodded her head in agreement and wrote notes in my chart. I'd been going in and seeing her for a few months and she helped me to count out my cycle days and figure when I was ovulating, she also told me there could be numerous reasons including the ones Ranger brought up from Bobby. After all this month after month id go to her because I'd be late and month after month I still wasn't pregnant.

I felt tears running down my cheeks as I came out of my thoughts and looked up at the Altar. What was wrong with us? The sparkling of my engagement ring caught my eye, looking down at it and my wedding band, I twirled them around my finger my thoughts landing on my husband and how frustrating this all was becoming.

"Excuse me" I heard next to me and looked up to see an older looking man dressed in black wearing a little white collar

"Oh sorry father I didn't mean to bother you"

"You're not bothering me my child but I can tell something is bothering you"

"Yea I have an appointment today and the last few times I've went for this thing hasn't been good"

"Oh no are you sick?" he asked

"No. You see my Husband and I were married here about three years ago"

"OHHH yes the Manoso's. I thought I recognized you, Stephanie and Carlos right?" he asked

"Yes" I answered watching as he sat down in the pew in front of me

"Oh child" he said his face growing somber "you're not here seeing a divorce are you?"

"NO! No I love Carlos with all my heart. We are trying to have a baby" I said as tears fell again

"Well don't cry that is a happy occasion"

"Not if you're me. The last fifteen months nothing has happened" I told him

"Oh my child remember the scriptures it says and I'm not quoting word for word but it says God gives us the desires of our hearts. If this Baby is what you really desire God knows your heart and will bless you in his time"

"Yea I've heard that before but I'm so discouraged, we didn't think it would take this long. Carlos and I have been through a lot to get to this point in our lives and this is breaking our hearts. I mean we try and we try and nothing" I said looking up at the priest and blushing

"It's ok dear I may be married to the Church but I know how Babies are formed and how they are born"

"Thank you" I said looking at my watch "I'm so sorry but I have to go its almost time for my appointment"

"God be with you my child and may he shine upon you this time"

I smiled at the kindly old priest and excused myself. In my car I looked back up at the church.

"Please God let it be this time" I whispered as I cranked the car over


	2. Chapter 2

Pulling into an empty parking space, I looked out my windshield at the building before me. It wasn't a spectacular building by any means, kinda like RangeMan you wouldn't even know it was there unless you had business there to go to. This building however didn't house a security firm, this building housed my future. Pulling up my big girl panties, I slipped out of my car, beeped it locked, and walked across the concrete lot to the front door. Placing my hand onto the handle, I read the white lettering on the glass, OB/GYN CARE OF NORTHERN NEW JERSEY. I closed my eyes as I opened the door silently praying I'd need the OB side of care today.

"Hello have an appointment today?" one of the many receptionists asked

"Yes Dr. Masso" I told her

"Ok have a seat we will get you back soon"

"Thank you"

I turned around and looked over the waiting room. There were a few women scattered here and there but not a lot to take up the room, selecting a chair I sat down and let out a low breath. This is a lot to handle on my own and I know that if I would have told Ranger that I needed him he would be here. He used to come but after getting negative after negative results, I couldn't bear to see the hurt in his eyes even if it was only fleeting.

After a while I'd stopped telling him that I even had to go see Dr. Masso, but somehow he always knew and was waiting on me in the garage to go up with me to seven where I'd break down in the comfort and private of my husband's arms.

"Stephanie" I heard snapping me out of my thoughts. Looking up I saw a young girl standing there in pale pink scrubs.

"Yea" I responded grabbing my bag and walking to her

"Let's go over here and get your weight"

"OK" I said always hating this part

"All right you can step down and follow me" she said writing my weight down and walking down the hall

"OK just need you BP and temp" she said doing them "when was your last period?"

"Five weeks ago" I told her

"So you're late?"

"Yes I'm always late"

"Any chance you could be pregnant?"

Ahh the million dollar question, ever since we've been on this journey my periods have been really wonky letting me get my hopes up time and time again only to be crushed later.

"Yes" I told her "it's kinda what I'm here for. has been working with me with a pregnancy issue"

"Ohh ok" she said writing it on my chart "Dr. Masso will be in, in a few minutes"

"Ok thanks"

Sitting there in the quiet room waiting on the doctor to come in, I placed my hand onto my stomach.

"Please" I softly said to it as tears fell down

"Hi Stephanie" Dr. Masso came bustling into the room stopping the pleading I was doing

"Hello" I said back hurrying and wiping the tears

"So it says you're late again?"

"Yes"

"Ok do you think you can pee for me?" she asked

"Yea I think so" I told her as she handed me a sample cup

"You know the drill, fill it, and sit it inside the metal door"

"Yep" I said taking the cup and going to the nearest bathroom

Whelp this was it, this was the big test. I've done this test for the last fourteen months; this one will be number fifteen. Please God let it be this time, I thought as I unbuttoned my jeans. Filling the cup and sitting it into the little metal door, I washed my hands and made my way back into my empty room. Dr, Masso was gone sticking things into my cup. Hopping back onto the table I waited, the silence was deafening. Twenty long minutes later Dr. Masso walked back into the room.

"I did three different pregnancy tests" she told me

"Ok" I nervously answered watching her trying to read her

"I'm sorry Stephanie" she said and I went numb "are you ok?" she asked patting my arm

"Yea I'm fine" and why wouldn't I be it the same result I've been getting, I shouldn't be surprised

"I have some good news for you though. All the blood work, pelvic exams, and the ultrasounds I performed came back normal. There is no medical reason you can't conceive and carry a child to term"

"You're telling me I'm fine?" I asked

"yes and I know your cycles are off since we've started working on this so by the way it's been going id say you have two more good fertile days left so you can try some more" she explained

"I'm fine?"

"Yes"

"There is nothing wrong with me?" I asked my mind going a million different directions

"Not that I found"

"So your saying it's Carlos?" I asked shocked. He's Batman, Batman can do anything.

"Well I can't say for certain without checking him out but it is a possibility. He may just have a low sperm count" she said and I nearly busted out laughing. Ranger was ALL male and I'd suspect his little swimmer were too.

"My advice is talk to your husband and I can refer you all to a urologist to have him tested like we did you. But for now you have at least two more fertile days, use them"

When Dr. Masso left me I was in shock, it just couldn't be Ranger. Ranger was all male, he oozed testosterone and sex. Could I have found the one thing Batman can't do? Gathering my things I numbly walked out to my car. As I sat down it all hit me, I wasn't pregnant again and something could be wrong with Carlos. Clapping my hands over my face I broke down.


	3. Chapter 3

Picking my hand up from my hands because I heard a big sound, I looked out of my windshield to see that the heavens decided to open up. Laying my head back against my head rest, I thought what perfect timing it was to be raining, I was not in the mood to deal with a happy sunny day.

"Great just what I need a huge down pour while I'm trying to leave" I said looking back out of the window unable to see the doctor's building that was in front of me

The rain was deafening while it hit against the car, I didn't care, and my options of becoming a mother wasn't looking so good at the moment. I was so hollow inside, ever since Ranger came to me and said he wanted a baby with me it's all we cared about. We really threw our whole hearts and souls into achieving it. Now it seems the one thing we wanted wasn't going to happen.

I began thinking of Ranger. All my life of knowing him he has been like a super hero to me, how can Batman have a flaw? Ranger was tall dark and handsome, a bad boy but in a good way, he is so strong and agile, a certifiable health nut, always eating right, working out every day, and running every morning. How in the world am I gonna tell him that he could be the reason for why I'm not getting pregnant? He would be destroyed as a man. He and all of the men at RangeMan prided themselves at being all male.

"This is the desire of my heart" I shouted in the empty car looking up at the car's ceiling "why?" I choked out but the only response was the rain pouring harder. Hearing the rain coming down was somewhat of a comfort. It was like God himself was crying for me too. Maybe that was a bad sign if he was crying. Seeing the rain wasn't going to slack any time soon. I started the car and left the Doctor's office parking lot.

Not wanting to go home and face my Husband, I decided to drive around in the rain for a while so that I could wrap my brain around the news I'd gotten from Dr. Masso and also to think of a way to talk to Carlos. He was gonna be so hurt when I tell him and blame himself for all of this and if you really think of it he has no reason to because he didn't know something was wrong. I'm sure if he did we would be getting help right? But what if he did know about this and this was his plan all along?

"NO! Stephanie you can't think like that. Ranger would not hurt you like that; he loves you more than anything. You're just upset and your minds conjuring a lot of things up. That's not true at all so stop it" o told myself swiping at a few stray tears that managed to leak out

But what is going on? He has a daughter already, so what has happened from then to now that he can't get me pregnant? I was just having a very hard time thinking there was something wrong with him. Fresh tears were falling and I was vigorously wiping at them so that I could see to drive.

"You need to calm down or you're going to kill yourself" I said to myself placing my hand back onto the wheel. My car phone rang and I knew exactly who it was. With a pain clenching my chest, I pushed the talk button that was on the rearview mirror.

"Babe" came Carlos's voice

"Hey" I said as tears welled up. I had to pull over

"How was your appointment?" he asked and I was shocked that he knew of it, I never bothered to tell him about it.

"I'm sorry Carlos" I said placing my hands over my face once again

"Come home"

"I will" I sniffed "but not right now, I just need to be alone"

"It's bad out Babe just come home to me" he pleaded

"I will I won't be too much longer. I'll be safe I promise"

"Babe"

"Ranger I'm fine...I.. I just need time to think"

"Ok Babe" he resigned "be careful, I love you"

"I love you too" I hiccupped

My heart was breaking for myself, for Carlos, and for us. I pulled back onto the road after I composed myself and passed a car that had slid into the ditch. It had it blinkers on warning the other drivers that came up on it and I saw that the driver of the car was out in the rain looking over the back of the car. When I passed him it then hit me that the car looked familiar, slowing down I hooked a U-turn and drove back to the stranded car.

When I came back upon the off road car, I slowed down so that I could have a better look. When I saw it was one of Rangers black SUV's I hardly couldn't believe it, they never have car troubles unless it's me driving them. Stopping by the car I rolled down my window.

"HEY" I yelled at the guy standing in the rain with no umbrella and no coat on. He was soaked to the bone his black T-shirt clinging to his hard torso.

Looking through the open window at me a wave of relief washed over his face "Oh thank God Beautiful"

"Are you ok?" I asked when he came up and stuck his head through my window

"Yea I'm fine I just slid off the dame road because it was wet and slick"

"Speeding huh?" I asked and Lester grinned

"Get in"

Lester locked up the stranded car and jumped into mine, he was soaked. I reached over and flipped on the heat and angled all the vents at him. He smiled his killer smile at me and said thanks.

"Not a problem we're family now"

"Yea but I still say you picked the wrong cousin"

"Oh you think so?" I asked him grinning a little. Lester could always get you to smile even in you were in the deepest depression.

"Certainly. I'm better looking and sexier"

I looked over at Lester. He was very good looking and very sexy. He was the same color as Ranger, same dark hair as him, the only difference between them was that Lester had green eyes and Carlos had brown.

A thought came skittering across my mind "Same looks, same blood line"

I tried to get rid of that thought, it was ludicrous " your fine and you got probably two more fertile days left to try" Dr. Masso's words filled my brain " your Husband could have a problem and that's what's hindering you getting pregnant"

I looked over at Lester again who had his head back and his eyes closed. He had always flirted with me and I know he's always wanted me; it wouldn't be hard to get him going. I can't believe I'm actually considering this. I can't believe I was actually planning to do what I was thinking but I was desperate.

"Les" I said

"Yea Beautiful"

"It's getting dark and it doesn't look like the rain is going to stop in fact I think it's gotten harder. I'm scared to drive anymore I don't think I can make it back to Haywood"

"Want me to drive?" he asked

"No we saw what happens when you drive" I told him

"Good point"

"There is this motel up ahead that we've done some busts at it should be ok for one night don't you think?"

"Yea it should be and hey you're with me. Anyone wants to mess with you will have to mess with me first and I don't think they will want too"

I chuckled at what Lester said as I took the turn into the motel's parking lot. Since being wet already, Les ran to the office to inquire about getting us some rooms. While he was gone I closed my eyes and asked God to forgive me for what I was about to do and then I rationalized it to myself that I was protecting Carlos and that Lester the only way to have Ranger's baby. Les was my friend and I was fixing to use his love for me as a ways to get pregnant. I was going to use my friend you loved, cared, and trusted me.

A/N Rating for this story is changing. The Next Chapter will be in the Ranger/Steph M section. Thanks guys!


	4. Chapter 4

I watched through the rain slicked windshield as Lester walked back to my car. There was no need for him to run now he was already soaked from standing in the rain previously. As he approached I fluffed my hair a little and took a deep breath.

"Ok I got some good news and some bad news which you want first?" he asked as he plopped down in the passenger side seat

"Good news" I said

"Good news is I already called and squared everything away with Ranger. He seemed really upset that you weren't coming home but after a minute he paid for the room"

"And what's the bad news?" I asked

"They only had one room with only one bed" he said and I gave a dismissive wave about that news

"Don't worry Beautiful I won't take advantage of you" he said and I plastered on a fake smile all the while thinking you might not but I was.

"Ready to get wet?" Lester asked me as he opened the car door again and stepped back out into the rain

"Sure" I said taking the keys out of the ignition and opening my door

When I rounded the car I was already soaked. Les took a hold of my wrist and we made a mad dash to the motels rooms. Running up the slick outside stairs we finally made it to where room two forty six was located. Lester dug the key out of his pocket and opened the door.

"Ok you can come in its ok" Les announced doing what every RangeMan does when they enter a room for the first time

"No boogie men anywhere?"

"Nope, none" he said taking off his dripping shirt

When I saw Lester's torso come into view, I think I lost my breath for a few minutes, he was perfection. Les looked over at me and caught me staring, when I saw I was caught I quickly looked away and felt my face burning.

"Ha-ha its ok Beautiful I won't tell Cuz you looked at me. Women can't turn away when Lester's around"

I turned and closed the door locking all the locks the door had on it. Even though I was with one of the top RangeMen you just couldn't be too careful. Leaning my forehead against the door, I gave myself a pep talk.

"You can do this, this is for your baby" I said slowly turning around to face Lester

"I'm wet" stating the obvious

"Yea me too, we need to get out of these wet clothes before we get sick. Ranger will kill me if you get sick"

"We don't have any clothes" I reminded him

"Yea that's the problem" he said looking around the room

I watched as Lester moved around the small room looking into all the drawers finding nothing but a telephone book and a Bible. I could have told him that there wouldn't be anything there, this room was for coming in and filling them not already stocked but I guess it's embedded in us to look. Lester came out of the dingy bathroom carrying a stack of white towels.

"Sorry Steph but this is all I could find" he said carrying them over to me

I looked up into his glittery green eyes as he stood in front of me holding out the towels for me to take. He assured me he wouldn't do anything dishonorable and would be on his best behavior. Take a couple of towels from the stack; I headed off into the bathroom to change. Once inside, I locked myself in and leaned against the door.

"You can do this. Lester is Carlos's cousin; the baby will be their blood line"

Pushing off the door I began to strip all of my wet clothes off. Pulling a towel around me, I tucked the end of it at the side of my breast to secure it.

"Here goes everything" I breathed out opening the door

"Beautiful bring out all your clothes. I've turned on the Ac unit to the heater and I'm draping our clothes on and around it so we can have dry ones to go home on" Lester called out at he heard the door opening

Gathering all my things I carried them in a huge wet pile over to Lester who was couched down on his knees arranging his clothes out to dry. When he felt me beside him he looked up my bare legs and grinned, Lester just checked me out. Handing over my clothes I eagerly watched as he began to unfold them piece by piece to lie out over the heater. Normally I would snitch my undies out so no one could see them but doing what I was doing, I left them in so Les could see what I wore and also to tempt him.

"HOLY SHIT STEPHANIE!" I heard and grinned a little wicked grin at him. Lester held me black lace thong and bra in his hand and looked over wide eyed at me

"Something wrong Les?"

"Umm uh no just caught me by surprise" he said quickly placing my wet undies onto the unit

I sat down on the end of the bed and watched as Lester stood up with a towel wrapped around his waist. When I saw all that smooth dark skin when he stood up I nearly forgot how to breathe. When God gave out DNA he sure knew what he was doing with the Manoso/Santos family.

"Lester?" I asked as I watched him sit in a chair across from me and prop his feet up on a small matching ottoman

"Hmmm?" he asked with his eyes closed and head back

"Why don't you flirt with me anymore?"

"Isn't it obvious you're my family now? It would be weird to flirt and try to score with a family member and you're married to a man that can kill me with a look"

"I miss it"

"Oh believe me I miss it too. It's hard to stop something you've done for years" he said grinning

"Les?"

"Yea Beautiful?"

"Did you really like me or was it just a game you played to piss Ranger off?"

"Steph" he said looking over at me "I don't this we should talk about this"

"No its ok I'd really like to know"

"Step him a jokester and a flirt. I flirt to get information and what I want or need. But I also flirt because I like the person too"

"Which was I?" I asked

"Do you really have to ask? When I first met you I thought you were hot but I could see that my stupid Cousin already had his eyes on you"

"Really?"

"Oh yea, I know Ranger and he had it bad for you when I first met you. He kissed you soon after that didn't he?" Lester asked me and I blushed thinking back to crying in front of Ranger when my car got stolen and all the left were the tag and plates.

"Yea our first kiss"

"I knew he had. He came home with a stupid smug grin on his face"

"Diddd you ever want to kiss me?"

"Oh God yes all the time" he admitted and felt this was my opening

I uncrossed my legs and stood up. It was now or never this opportunity wouldn't present itself again. Dr. Masso said she thought I had two more fertile days left before I started my period. Walking over to Lester, he held my eyes with his as I lowered myself to straddle his thighs.

"Steph?" he asked wondering what the hell I was doing

"Want to find out what it would be like?" I asked and watched as his eyes widen as big as saucers

"Stephanie" he began to protest

"Shhhhh" I softly said touching my finger to his lips. A second later I moved forward and placed my lips on his.


	5. Chapter 5

For a few minutes, I massaged my lips on his. I could tell he was fighting hard not to lose control but after a few more minutes of my assault his resolve crumbled.

"God Stephanie" he said pulling back

"I know" I told him laying my forehead to his

"What else have you wanted to do?" I asked and Lester gave me a look like I had just given him what he wanted most for Christmas

"You're shitting me right?"

"No"

"God"

"Show me Lester" I said in his ear as I drew his lobe into my mouth

"Shit" he hissed as his arms came around me carrying me effortlessly to the bed

When he laid me down I could see that Lester was warring within himself. Fearing he would put the kibosh on my plan, I sucked in a huge breath and opened my towel to lay there naked in front of him telling myself over and over this is for the baby, this is for the baby. Lester's eyes traveled over my body and I prayed that his playboy ways would take over and he would forget for a while that I was married to his cousin.

Lester slid one of his hands over my ribcage as he stared into my eyes. We both were breathing hard our chests rising and falling rapidly. Feeling that too much time had lapsed I felt the disappointment of not being able to be pregnant creeping in; he had made his mind up to not continue with me. Bracing myself for the rejection I knew that was coming, I was shocked when Lester jerked me to him and devoured my mouth in a hard demanding kiss.

The beast inside of Lester woke up and broke free. As he kissed me his hand began to travel touching me in all the right spots. I was surprised at how my body reacted and responded to him but he has always told me that he was a very talented man. An orgasm ripped thru me and Lester never even touched me the only thing he did was lavish my nipples with his hot tongue and wonderful mouth. My God only Carlos could do this to me what else can this family do?

I disconnected my mind as Lester ravished me. In my mind I was making love to Carlos and not to his cousin, it wasn't hard to think this since they both had the dark skin. Having that pictured in my head I began to do the stuff I'd normally do to Carlos to Lester when we were in bed together.

I slid my hand down his rock hard body and found him hot and hard. When my fingers wrapped around him, Lester let out a deep moan and a long breath.

"SHIT STEPHANIE" he hissed and I silenced him with a kiss so that my fantasy about Carlos wouldn't be ruined. I knew that I was having sex with Lester but hanging on to Carlos's image and knowing I was doing this for us was the only thing that kept me going.

When Lester finally entered me, I closed my eyes at the overwhelming feeling that this could be it. This could be the moment my baby could be inside me. The powerful feeling washed over me and I wrapped my legs around Lester's hips as he pounded into me. What seemed like forever, since Lester would bring me to the edge so many times and then back off I finally came thrashing under him like a mad woman with Lester keeping the pace, guess he wanted to take things as slow as possible because he knew this was the only chance he would be with me like this.

After I calmed down Les picked up his pace again and started to thrust up into me. I knew by his movements and the look on his face that he was close. Not wanting anything to happen during this moment I drew him in as close to me as I could and heard him yell as he emptied himself inside of me.

"You ok Beautiful?" he asked spooning up to me

"Yea, I'm perfect" I lied the guilt of what I had done hitting me

"Steph you ok?"

"Oh yea, I'm sorry Les you were great you did everything right" I told him and he had. Lester was a great lover. I know now he was telling me the truth with what he would always joke about. Lester settled in close to me and laid his arm around me. When I knew he was asleep I wiggled away and closed myself inside the bathroom.

I was so conflicted as I sat on the toilet. I'd done this to have a baby, one that would look like Carlos but now I felt so guilty so much so that I was nearly sick to my stomach. I thought of poor Lester out there, I had used his love for me to lure him into bed. He is my friend and I'd probably just destroyed one of my closest friendships.

Not being able to face Lester, I crept out of the bathroom and slid on my still damp clothes. When I was dressed, I looked over at Lester sleeping in the bed. He was laying there with the motels sheet over his waist. I wondered what he thought about what happened between us, was he worried, did he feel guilty at all? Right now he looked so peaceful sleeping. With tears streaming down my face, I rummaged thru my shoulder bag till I found a pen and a little note pad. Sitting at the small round table in our room I began writing.

Lester,…


	6. Chapter 6

Picking up the paper, I had been writing on I re-read the note to make sure it sounded ok.

Lester,

I'm so sorry please forgive me. What happened between us was something very special. I will always remember and cherish what we did. Please Les understand I love Carlos with all my heart, just let this live in our memories and stay just between us.

Stephanie

I had no fear that, that was what Les would do. He wouldn't tell a soul about what happened he'd take it to the grave. Folding the note over I wrote Lester's name on the outside and slid it under his gun that he had on the night stand by the side of the bed he was on so that I knew he would find it in the morning when he woke. Standing by the bed with my heart in a million pieces, I bent down and gave Lester a kiss on his forehead.

"You don't know what's been going on but I thank you and I'm so sorry please forgive me" I whispered to him as I pulled away. Taking one last look at him I turned, grabbed my bag, and left the room softly locking the door behind me.

Once inside my car I looked at the clock on the dash, I couldn't go home and alert Carlos at this hour he would know for sure and wonder what's going on since I'm supposed to be safe with Lester. I couldn't go to my parents because again of the late or early hour and since marrying Carlos my running home days have ended. Not knowing where to go or who to turn to that wouldn't judge me, I just turned on the ignition, pulled out of the lot, and started driving.

I drove around Trenton for a while and then found myself exiting on the New Jersey Turnpike taking a path that was very familiar to me. Parking in the deserted lot, I got out of my car, and walked out onto the beach and made my way to the water's edge.

I was surrounded in blackness swallowed up by the darkness with in and around me. Walking back a little I plopped down on the night cooled sand. Placing my arms around my knees, I began to laugh, it's funny what your mind thinks of when you're in a pickle and boy was I in one right now. If Carlos knew I was out here alone in the dark he would be beyond mad and when I got home I would be locked up with nothing with bread or water to eat.

"Stephanie, Stephanie, Stephanie" I said to myself as the tears came back "what have you done?"

I sat there and thought, I thought about my life with Ranger. Our first meeting after I conned Vinnie into giving me a job with his bail company, our exploits together when he kept giving me Jobs and cars which lead to our first kiss. I thought of our night together, the stolen kisses, and the touches. I found myself smiling remembering those memories, and then my mind shifted to my wedding day. What a grand day that was, we were so happy nothing could touch us or so I thought. My hand slid over my empty stomach as I remember us deciding to start a family only to have our hopes dashed month after month. Tears spilled as I thought about Dr. Masso saying that all my tests came back normal and that maybe Carlos had something going on.

"I can't do it, I just couldn't" I said weeping into my knees "I couldn't face him and destroy him like that"

How can you do it? How can you tell a man he could be the reason you're not getting pregnant. Making women pregnant is what they do; it's what makes them men. I never sat out to betray my husband, in normal circumstances this would never had happened, but I was so distraught with the latest negative test result and then giving the news I wasn't thinking right. I know it's not an excuse for what I did and if found out will destroy a lot of lives but having an baby with Carlos was all I could think of and it seemed like that was not in the cards anymore and then when the thought of using Lester as a surrogate entered my mind that's all I could think of. Seeing the sun rising up over the ocean, I knew my time had come to start making my way home, Carlos would be expecting me. Climbing into my car I made the trip back to Trenton in silence.

Once I got back into Trenton I felt a squeezing in my chest. It had always been there throughout this whole ordeal but got more pronounced the closer I came to Carlos. I passed by the motel where I'd left Lester and wondered if he was awake yet and if he had found my note. My heart seized up thinking on him and knowing sooner or later I would have to see him sometime today. As I wound my way towards Haywood the Church that we got married in and the one that I came to before my last appointment came into view. I'm not a good catholic by any means but I felt a need to go there, turning off I drove into the parking lot and got out of my car. I slowly made my way up the steps to the big ornate wooden door, placing my hand on the handle I felt so unworthy of being there but then remembered that this is a place of peace and a place for forgiveness and that's what I needed and wanted was forgiveness. I slipped in as the door opened and made my way to the confessional, I hadn't done this since I was a little girl made to come to church by my Mother. Sitting down the little window opened beside me as I crossed myself.

"Bless me Father for I have sinned" I said to the priest

I poured my heart out to the man starting from when we finally made the decision to start a family to my affair last night with Lester. I thought for sure my sins were too bad to get forgiveness but after my confession the priest gave me my penance and forgave me.

"My child your sins are forgiven, go and sin no more"

I walked out of the confessional and made it back to my car, I half expected to see Carlos or Lester standing there waiting for me but luckily they weren't. I kinda felt better after confessing what I had done; they do say confession is good for the soul. Starting my car I sat there for a minute summoning up the courage to head home. Pulling out of the church I made the decision to leave my sin with the church and try to get it out of my head as much as I could, I had too if I acted anyways different then Carlos knew then he will know something is wrong. Pulling into RangeMan I took in several deep breaths before opening my car door and hearing the one word that both thrilled me and terrified me at the same time.

"Babe"


	7. Chapter 7

Slowly sliding out of the car, I closed the door and leaned back against it folding my arms around me for comfort and protection. Why was I protecting myself from Carlos when I know he would never hurt me and he had no idea what I had done? I guess it was an automatic reaction that we all do. Looking down at the black top of the garage I just couldn't face him, I felt like it would be written all over face and he would know just by looking at me. Hearing the faint sounds of boots coming up to me, saw them come into my sight as I stood there.

"Babe" he softly said his voice so full of concern. I didn't move which prompted him to place a finger under my chin and raise it up to face him

His eyes were so soft, so loving, yet so sad, when I saw them I shattered into a million pieces flinging myself into his arms and bursting into tears. Even though I had done this horrible thing there is no other person I want to be with to comfort me than hi. Carlos had no knowledge of what I'd done and I knew he thought I was crying over the negative test result, I guess in a small way I was since this is what started it all but I was more upset with my actions. He pulled me against his strong chest whispering soothing words into my hair.

"Oh Babe its gonna be ok. We'll keep trying" he said proving my earlier thoughts

When I heard what he said my heart broke for him, I picked up my head and looked at him. He was so strong and so confident in everything he does. I love this man with all my heart and I just can't break him by telling him he could be the reason we aren't having a baby. I slid my hand onto his cheek and looked deep into his brown eyes, I felt if he knew he would blame himself every time he'd look at me knowing he couldn't do what he was designed to do.

"I love you" I told him

"I love you to Babe" he said turning his head and kissing my hand

We stayed like that for a long time just standing in the garage for all to see looking at each other. Ranger held me to him again and I felt exactly where I wanted and needed to be. I wrapped my arms tightly around my husband and held on tight, I just needed to be in his arms.

"Babe, come on lets go up to seven. You can shower, change, and relax for a while"

"Ok" I said shaking my head as he guided us over to the elevator

"Babe?"

"yea?" I asked as the doors to the elevator closed around us

"I know this is probably a bad time to ask but where is Lester?" He asked and I stiffened

"Oh he is at the motel I just wanted to hurry and come home. I'm sure he'll wander in eventually" I said looking up at the numbers counting on the little lighted display. The car had suddenly gotten stuffy and I needed to get out to breath.

The door finally opened allowing Carlos to fob us into our apartment. When he closed the door too he gathered me into his arms and nuzzled my neck.

"I wish you would have come home to me yesterday. I would have taken care of you"

"I know and I'm sorry but I needed to be alone all this is really starting to get to me. My mind is in a thousand different places" I told him honestly "I needed to regroup"

"Yea until you found my stupid Cousin on the side of the road and that probably ended that for you" he said referring to Lester. When he did flashes of me in bed with him ran thru my brain

"Yea, you know a shower does sound great and then some sleep"

"Didn't you sleep in the motel?"

"No not a lot, it wasn't home" I said hugging him dyeing inside

"I'm here for you Stephanie" he said rubbing my back with his hands "let me take care of you?" he asked and I nodded my head

Carlos pulled back and went into our bedroom, a few seconds later I heard the shower being turned on. As he was doing that I went over to the big window in our living room and looked out onto the street below. I was lost in my thoughts when two large arms circled my waist and pulled me back where warm lips massaged against my neck.

"We'll be pregnant someday Babe you'll see" he said laying his hands on my stomach

Carlos ran his hand down my arm leaving goose bumps in his wake. Sliding his fingers into mine he walked me into the bedroom and into the bathroom where he helped me undress. He let my hand go just for a minute as I watched as he undressed himself. Seeing him in all his glory took my breath away, he was all man and all mine DAMN! He stepped into the shower and turned to smile at me.

"Come here Babe, Let me help you feel better" he said holding his hand out to me

I slowly slid my hand into his and he pulled me easily into him, his arm going around my bare waist our bodies molding together under the warm water. His hands felt so good running the shampoo through my hair and I nearly cried out when he slid the soap filled loofa over my wet skin. Just before the water turned cold, Carlos turned it off and led me out to stand while he dried me off and placed a towel around my naked body.

"I'm gonna leave now" he said drying himself and placing his clothes back on "I'm gonna go downstairs to work while you're getting ready for bed. Sleep as long as you want and then come down later ok?"

"OK" I answered as he kissed me

Carlos kissed me one more time before he left. I walked into our dressing room and found a clean pair of panties and one of Carlos's shirts and pulled it over my head. Sliding into our bed, I hugged his pillow to me taking in his scent, and cried myself to sleep.

"It'll be ok, it will all work out for good, it has too" I thought as I finally fell asleep


	8. Chapter 8

When I finally came awake, I took a while to actually get up. I stayed in bed and thought about the situation I was in. I did not sleep with Lester because I was unhappy in my marriage; on the contrary I'm deeply in love with my husband. Let's face it I slept with Lester for his sperm. I knew if I could get pregnant by Les that when I gave birth the baby would look like Carlos and I'll never have to tell him he could have a problem.

I know what I did was very wrong on my part but this is how I felt. When I look at my husband I see a very smart, very intelligent, and very strong man who has done a lot of things some shady to protect me and I feel that I'm protecting him by doing this and I'll do anything to protect him. Rolling over in bed I looked at the bedside clock, I knew even though Ranger gave me free reign to sleep as long as I wanted he would soon call to see where I was. Sitting up on the side of the bed I ran my hand over my flat stomach and sighed.

Walking into our dressing room, I pawed through my clothes and came up with a black RangeMan polo and a set of cargos, not a lot of choice when you work here. Pulling my clothes on, I swept my hair up into a bun with a few wispy curls hanging down, tying my shoes I headed out of our bedroom on my way to the front door. As my hand landed on the door knob to turn it hit me, Lester's down there.

"SHIT" I said letting go of the knob like it was scalding

I had completely forgotten about Lester, I was just going in my normal getting ready for work routine and forgot about seeing him. The last time I saw Lester was last night when I left him asleep in our motel room. Not knowing what to think or do a million thoughts and scenarios of how this would play out went rushing through my head, only one thought kept coming back telling me this is what I needed to do.

"Your gonna have to face him sooner or later you can't hide from him he frikken lives here and he is family. Might as well get it over with" I told myself

Taking in a huge breath and letting it out slowly, I turned the knob of the door and walked down to the elevator. When I arrived on five my heart started to race as I peeked out as the doors slid open to see if I could spot Les. Not seeing him anywhere on the floor I made my way to Carlos's office.

"Knock knock" I sing songed as I walked in stopping dead in my tracks when I saw Lester sitting across from my husband reading a file. When they heard me they both looked up and stared at me. I felt like the air had been knocked from my lungs.

"Beautiful" Les smiled walking up to me and kissing my cheek, something he started doing after the wedding.

"Les" I smiled back hopefully warmly at him

"Need something Babe?" Ranger asked from sitting back behind his desk

"Oh uh no I was just checking in and showing you that I was awake and now on deck, I see you and Lester are busy I'll just go and start some work"

"Babe" Carlos said stopping my leaving

I turned back to see my husband scoot back in his chair and walk over to me. When he was in front of me he placed his hand onto my cheek and looked at me with the most caring soft brown eyes.

"How are you doing?" he softly asked referring to the bad test I'd gotten yesterday

"I'm ok, it seems like it's getting easier to bounce back after fifteen negatives" I sarcastically whispered

"Babe you don't have to act so brave. This is killing you its killing both of us"

"Yes I do" I said flipping a look towards Lester

When Carlos and I decided to start trying for a baby we decided also that we wouldn't tell the guys until I was really for certain I was expecting. None of the guys knew except for Bobby that we were trying. I'm glad we made that decision because it would just hurt more each time to tell them I could be pregnant only to come back each time and tell them I wasn't. I couldn't go thru that every time and see the hurt and disappointment in their eyes.

Carlos leaned down and kissed me "I love you Steph"

"I love you too" I said and I meant it

Ranger let me go and I left his office. When I got far enough away that I wouldn't alert suspicions from him I ran into the bathroom to get myself back into control. All the emotions of dealing with the baby thing and seeing Lester the man I slept with sitting with my husband was just too much. I knew I was going to see him at some point but I thought I'd be able to ease into it and it just be him not the both of them in the same room at the same time. Hearing the bathroom door open behind me, I called out figuring it was one of the guys needing to use the bathroom and didn't know I was in here.

"Sorry I'll be out in a minute" I said alerting them that I was in there

A medium brown skinned hand came into my view and dropped a piece of paper onto the sink counter in front of me. Picking the paper up all the blood rushed to my feet and I felt faint when I saw the hand writing on the note was mine, looking up into the mirror I locked eyes with Lester.

I woke up looking for the girl that I just had the most amazing night with. A girl that I loved for years and never thought I get a chance with"

"Les"

"I felt around for you in bed and when I realized you weren't there I got up and looked around for you but you and your things were gone. I went back and sat on the side of the bed trying to figure out what was going on and that's when I saw the Dear John or should I say dear Lester letter"

"Lester I'm so sorry but…"

"It's ok I understand. I don't know how this all happened but it was amazing and ill do everything you asked in the note. I won't blackmail you or hold this over your head, I won't tell Ranger either, I know its him you chose and I know you love him and he loves you"

"Thank you I never doubted you would" I said feeling so low. What did happen between us just didn't randomly happen it was planned on my part.

"Friends?" he asked holding out his hand to me

"Friends" I said shaking his hand knowing this was our way to say all is well and forgotten. God how I was a horrible friend, I had used him.

Lester took back the note that I had written to him and slid it back into his cargos for safe keeping. He looked at me and gave me a wink.

"See ya Beautiful" he said and left the bathroom


	9. Chapter 9

Several weeks had gone by since I'd slept with Lester. Everything seemed to be going back to normal, we laughed and flirted like we used to and squabbled like two kids. I wasn't on edge like I was being around the two of them and Les had kept his word about not lording it over my head and telling Ranger about what we had done. I'd never ever forget what happened but everything was heading towards normal again.

"Babe" Carlos said waking me up as the clock rang out "I'm going for my work out, it's time to get up"

"K, I'll be up and ready when you come back" I said my head under my pillow

When I heard my Husband leave our apartment, I began thinking about what Dr. Masso suggested about Carlos and it just made no since to me. He lived right, no drugs, no heavy drinking, he eats right, and exercises religiously how could there be anything wrong with him? She has seen him the first few times he had gone with me to my appointments, she knows he is a fine specimen of a man. I threw the cover off me with all intentions of getting up and rolled onto my back, that's how I was found when Carlos came back from his workout.

"Babe?" I heard and then felt myself being shaken "Stephanie come on wake up"

I don't know why I did this or what came over me but when Carlos woke me the second time I jumped out of bed, pushed him aside, and stomped all the way into the bathroom.

"I can never sleep in this damn building" I yelled slamming the door behind me leaving a bewildered Husband looking at me

"Babe you always get up to shower and get ready for work while I go to the gym" he called to me

"Yea well it's not a crime to go back to sleep" I called back in my bitchy voice

"Babe I never said it was I was just surprised is all and I'm not understanding what the big deal is here. Why are you so upset?"

"Just leave me alone" I said through tears.

God why was I being so bitchy and emotional? Then it hit me what it could be and I cried even harder, because if it was what I was thinking it was then it would mean I'm not pregnant again and I would have slept with Lester and cheated for nothing.

"Shhh Babe" I heard and felt two strong arms turn me and bring me to their warm chest. I hadn't even heard the bathroom door open or heard Ranger come into the bathroom.

"I'm sorry; I didn't mean to snap at you like that"

"It's ok; I just don't understand what upset you. This is our normal routine"

"I know and I think I also know what's going on and if so then we aren't pregnant gain" I told him burrowing my head into his chest

"What?" he asked confusion etched on his face "ohhhh" he said when I looked up to him "so you've started then?"

"No not yet but it will probably be here soon"

We stood holding each other cocooned in our own little world. No one knew the hell we were going through as Husband and Wife. On the outside we looked put together and united but on the inside we were broken and sad. All we wanted was to have a baby but that didn't seem to be in our cards. I even went outside my marriage and still nothing happened. I was at a loss I didn't know what to say, think, or do anymore.

"Steph if you want you can stay up here in the apartment today "Carlos said rubbing my back

"No I don't want to sit here and just dwell on a another pregnancy chance lost" I told him pulling away from him and walking into the dressing room

"Babe if you need some time I'll understand"

"No Carlos I want to go to work, I don't want to think about it anymore"

"Ok Babe what every you need and want to do" he said leaning over on the door jamb watching me getting dressed

"Am I still with Hal today looking for some skips?" I asked placing my hair into a simple pony tail and grabbing on of Ranger's RangeMan ball caps

"Yes"

"Excellent" I said placing the hat on my head, pulling my pony tail thru the back of the hat, and walking out the door

My grief and anguish had turned to anger. I was angry, I was angry about my period seeming that was coming, I was angry about not able to be pregnant and for trying for so long. I was angry that the plan I thought of for trying to get pregnant didn't work and I did the unthinkable to my marriage and to my friend. Most of all I was angry at myself.

"Hey, Morning Bomber ready to roll?" Hal asked when I came onto the floor

"Yes let's go kick some ass" I said directing the anger to the job I had at hand. Hal looked at me and grinned and I grinned at him in return.

Riding around town with Hal was fun. He is all RangeMan but he also likes to indulge in some of my favorite things like burgers and donuts. We were currently sitting outside our last skip of the day's house waiting for him to come home for lunch while we were scarfing down ours.

"Gahhh what's taking so long here?" I whined

"Informant said he comes home every day for lunch" Hal said slurping some coke through his straw

"Well he better get his no good for nothing sorry ass here or we'll just pay him a visit at work and drag him out kicking and screaming by his balls" I said and Hal looked at me like I had just grown three heads

"What?"

"Nothing just all day there has been this edge about you and I've never heard you talk like that before"

"Sorry, I'm just cranky and tired still. I just can't wake up for some reason today" I gave as my explanation. When I thought of the real reason for my crankiness I felt a sharp stab to my heart.

I drank the rest of my coke and laid back in my chair to wait on Mr. Drug Problem. The next thing I remember was being shaken awake again.

"Why does everyone want to shake me today?" I grumbled sitting up trying to focus my eyes to see that we were still in the truck but we weren't on the street outside the skips house

"Sorry Bomber but we are home" Hal said and my eyes really shot open then

"HOME!"

"Yea" he said and I looked around and saw I was in fact in the underground garage with our car fleet all around us

"Oh my God I fell asleep on a bust" I said closing my eyes "oh Hal I'm so sorry I forced us not to catch our guy" I said because I knew my husband was going to be pissed when he heard about this but he wasn't going to take it out on me, he would on Hal on the mats and it wasn't his fault.

"Relax its ok the skip never showed I think he was tipped off, so I let you sleep"

"I promise ill fix it with Ranger so you won't get in trouble" I said opening the door to our truck

"Steph" he called and I stopped my decent and looked back at him "I'm not going to mention to the Boss man that you fell asleep staking out the skip"

"You're not?" I asked

"Nope" he said "now come on"

I watched as Hal jumped out of the truck and round to my side. I looked up at him and he looked down at me and grinned.

"It didn't hurt anything that you went to sleep and you seemed to be needing the rest"

"But this goes against the rules and you'll be lying on your report"

"No I'm not going to lie. We had a really good morning rounding up a few skips. This last one just didn't show up. That's right, right?"

"I owe you" I told him as we walked over to the elevator

When the elevator came and walked into it I got this odd feeling that washed over me. I got real hot and everything in the car got really fuzzy. I turned to look at Hal but he was fading in and out of blackness and I couldn't focus on him. Getting scared I reached out to Hal and felt him turn to look at me.

"Bomber you ok? You're looking a little green"

"Hal" I said or hoped I said as I placed my hand onto my eyes and then my world went dark

"OH GOD BOMBER, BOMBER COME ON COME BACK TO ME" I heard Hal's worried voice screaming at me. I tried to open my eyes but everything was so fuzzy and unfocused

"Hal?"

"That's it come one shhhhh"

"Hal what's going on? I asked squinting up at him. I was trying to remember but the only thing I remembered was feeling weird and then nothing

"Oh Thank God your back. Shit Stephanie you just scared the hell out of me"

"Sorry what's going on?" I asked looking around realizing I was on the elevator car's floor

"Just lie still" when Hal saw me starting to move around

"What happened" I said getting agitated that he wouldn't tell me

"You fainted Steph" he finally told me as the door dinged above me

When the elevator opened I saw we were on the lobby's floor. I don't visit this floor a lot but I knew what it looked like. Hal scooped me up in his arms and ran us over to the lobby's leather couch as I was protesting that I was ok and tried to get out of his arms. Placing me down onto it he looked over and started ordering a guy around that I didn't really know all that well.

"CALL BROWN DOWN HERE NOW AND GET RANGER ALSO"

"NO!" I screamed "don't call I'm fine" I yelled back at the guy

"DO IT" Hal commanded and the guy picked up the in house phone and started pressing numbers. He knew Hal was not to be messed with.

Hal crouched down in front of me carefully watching over me, there was nothing I could do now the alarm had been sounded. Soon all of RangeMan will be thundering down here to see what I had done now. Hal studied me closely and I glared up at my used to be burger buddy, if he noticed it never registered on his face. The elevator dinged again and I heard the stairwell door crash open, I closed my eyes and stilled myself for what was to come.


	10. Chapter 10

I listened as heavy booted feet came running over to me in all different directions. I watched as Hal stood up and his spot immediately was filled with a very worried looking Ranger and Bobby kneeling down to look over me. My husband ran a hand over my cheek and locked eyes with me.

"Babe what's going on?" he asked rapidly as he tried to get his breathing under control

"Nothing" I said trying to sit up but Bobby placed a firm hand on me stopping me

"Stephanie just lie still until I had a chance to examine you" he said pulling various things from his Medic bag

"Carlos I'm fine really, I don't need all this"

"What happened?" he asked not to me but to the man I had been with all morning

Hal looked at me and gave me an apologetic smile "She fainted in the elevator sir"

"Babe"

"I wasn't feeling well all of the sudden but I'm feeling ok now" I said looking over to my arm where I felt Bobby placing a pressure cuff around it "is this really necessary? I hate those things they pinch"

"Babe let Bobby look at you" Ranger admonished

"Has anything been going on recently? Something out of the norm" Bobby asked anyone as he shown a pen light in to my eyes

"Just this morning she wouldn't get up" My husband spoke up

"Steph?"

"It was nothing"

"She wasn't up when I returned to the apartment from my work out. It is our normal routine for us to wake up together and she get ready while I'm down in the gym. When I got back she was still out cold"

"I was just tired is that such a sin?"

"No not unless it's been going on for a while" Bobby said taking my pulse. When he said that I flicked a look over to Hal

"Yes?" Ranger asked

"What?" I asked looking at him

"Babe you just gave a look to Hal. Want to tell us what that was all about?"

"I just looked at him" I told him as Ranger looked back at Hal who blushed

"Tell me" he said and Bobby looked over from what he was doing to look at him as well

"She…"

"Hal" I said warning him of the promise he had made to me and reminding him of the trouble we'd be in

My husband looked at me then back at Hal "If you don't tell me then there will be dire consequences" Ranger promised his serious face slamming into place

"Hal if something happened then I need to know so that I can help her" Bobby said expressing to his tender side to help me. These guys were good at how to get what they wanted.

"She fell asleep in the car" he admitted dropping his eyes to the tile floor

"I get the feeling there is more to it than that because she has been known to do that from time to time"

"Good Lord" I spat out in my bitchy voice ending this back and forth game "I fell asleep while we were on a stake out. We were eating our lunch waiting for the skip to come home. I closed my eyes for what I thought was a minute but when Hal woke me up we were back home" man I was sure getting the use of this hormone driven voice lately

"Have you been experiencing exhaustion Stephanie?"

"Just today for some reason I feel I just can't wake up. Now can I sit up please?"

Bobby took the cuff off my arm and he and Ranger helped me to finally sit up. I rolled my eyes at them all and heard someone snicker from the corner of the room. I looked up and saw that Lester was propped up on a door jamb watching everything with an amused expression on his face.

"Little cranky Beautiful?" he asked from his spot

"I won't be if they would leave me alone. IM FINE"

I watched Ranger look over at Bobby to get his word. Bobby reported to him that I was ok but that my BP was slightly elevated.

"Told you all I was fine" I huffed

"You did faint in an elevator" Ranger reminded me

"Just rest Steph" Bobby told me packing his bag back up "if anything happens call me"

"I'm fine" I said again and Bobby looked hurt

"Thanks man she doesn't mean to be snippy. She thinks her period is coming soon and it's really getting to her because…" he said and I saw red

"Well now that everyone knows that I'm getting my period soon I'm going upstairs"

Walking into my apartment I was so glad to be away from everyone downstairs. I shut the door behind me and went into our bathroom to make sure I had all the necessary supplies that I was going to need. Satisfied I had enough for when I started which by how I felt would be really soon, I walked out of the bathroom with the intentions of flopping on the bed to forget this day ever happened.

"Babe" I heard as I was flipping the light off in the bathroom

"I never heard you come in" I told him resting back on the jamb

I stood there and let my eyes rake over my husband as he stood by the foot of our bed wearing his signature black he took my breath away. He was so hot and sexy I just couldn't stand it, how he ever fell in love with me will forever be a mystery to me. Carlos could have any beautiful woman of this world but yet he set his sights on me. I'm not complaining by any means but I do wonder this from time to time.

I was getting very turned on the more I stood there and looked at him. When I just couldn't take it any more I walked up to him with my heart racing and my chest heaving.

"Steph you were really pissy at Bobby. He was only trying to help" Carlos said looking down at me

"I'll apologize later to him; right now I have something else I need to take care of"

"Oh what's that?"

"This" I said placing my hand onto the back of his neck kissing him hungrily when I brought him down to me

"I can't make love to you Steph, I got a client coming in for a sit down I just came to make sure your ok and to talk to you"

"I don't want you to make love to me. I just want you, we don't even have to take most of our clothes off only the ones that really matter" I said placing my hands on his cargo button

Carlos's eyes went black as my words registered. He placed his hands onto my pants button and popped it open as I did the same to his. Picking me up when my pants and panties were around my ankles, he shuffled me over and onto the bed.

"Oh God please Carlos" I cried out

He didn't need any more encouragement as he entered me and began thrusting wildly. In a matter of minutes he had me writhing and clawing at the bed sheet under him. It wasn't one of our all night or all day sessions but it as what was needed and wanted at this particular moment. As we came and then came down from our highs, Carlos stood a quickly redressed.

"I'm sorry Babe but I have to go"

"I know, I love you" I told him as we shared some final kisses before he had to meet his client

"I love you, you coming down later or you just gonna hang out up here for the rest of the day?"

"I'll come down in a bit"

"Ok make nice with Bobby and I'll see you soon"

"I will" I told him and watched as he left

When I heard the apartment door close, I rolled over, grabbed a pillow, and cried my eyes out. I was upset that I had just had sex with my husband, I was crying because we had some of the most amazing sex together and I felt so good when I was in his arms, yet that love we shared just couldn't make a baby. Holding the pillow tight to me I let the pain wash over me.


	11. Chapter 11

Every day for the next two weeks I waited and checked every single day for my period. As the days went on I'd feel worse and snap at everyone at a drop of the hat then tearfully apologize to the men that I'd been so mean to who had loved me so much. I didn't know what was wrong with me; it seemed and felt like my entire body was in revolt.

Bobby my friend and RangeMan company medic came to me privately one day and talked to me. He was the only one who knew that Carlos and I were trying and failing to have a baby, he suggested that stress was the cause of my fatigue and that it also could be the cause of me not starting yet. Bobby pulled out a few bottles from his cargo's and laid them all out on our dinner table, he explained that one was an iron supplement and the others were other various kinds of vitamins that he felt might help me feel better. After our talk we walked down together to the fifth floor, he had forgiven me for my bitchyness towards him a few weeks ago.

"Babe" my husband said coming to sit next to me on my side of our bed " maybe it's time for you to call Dr. Masso and have her check you out" he said as I clutched a pillow. I'd woken up with my stomach on the blink this morning.

"And hear her say there is nothing in there or nothing wrong?"

"Obviously Steph there is something wrong, you've been like this going on three weeks now"

"If I'd you know… start" I said still embarrassed about talking this womanly stuff with a man even if he is my husband

"Babe you've been waiting and waiting and every time you check its nothing right?" he asked and I fidgeted with our comforter

"No and I think it's pretty freaky for you to know about my cycle"

"When you live with someone long enough you start knowing their habits and when they do and don't do stuff"

"I guess" I groaned

"Babe please call?" he asked while running his fingers thru my hair "Bobby's done about all he can do for this, this needs Dr. Masso's expertise"

"Ok ill call" I begrugedly said knowing what tests she'd conduct. Even though I've been trying to have a baby and have opened my legs to her almost every time I've seen her doesn't mean it gets any easier or that I like it.

"Thank you, I hate seeing you feeling so bad and I don't like to worry about you"

"You always worry about me"

"True but with this problem I feel we can do something about, it's not like a stalker or one of your cars being blown up" he said earning my death look. Carlos gave me one of his grins and kissed the top of my head.

"Let me know what she says"

"You'll be the first one to know"

When Carlos left to go for his work out, I laid back to think about what was going on with my body. I went over each thing that had went on like the bitchyness, the fainting, and now the nausea everything pointed to my period except the fainting and nausea id never gotten that whenever I've started before.

"Could I be pregnant?" I asked myself feeling hope rise in my heart " it's highly unlikely with every failed attempt so far" I said squashing that hope right away so that I wouldn't believe in it again.

When I thought I was pregnant in the past months, I only based it on the fact that I missed a period. Since we were now working with Dr, Masso we wouldn't do any home testing, I would call, she would see me, test me, and then tell me it was negative. I have never felt like I do now whenever I've thought I was pregnant. Maybe Bobby is right and it's the stress of everything including living with the Lester thing that's taking a toll on me. He said stress and fear can bring down the strongest and the bravest of men. Maybe Carlos and I need to take a break from trying to conceive and regroup; maybe if the stress dies down then it will happen. Dragging myself out of bed after my many ponderings, I made my way into the shower.

Once Carlos returned from his work out, he showered and was getting dressed for the day. As I watched him getting dressed, I thought he could make a paper bag look sexy. When he turned and saw me staring he grinned and shook his head.

"Babe I know that look"

"What look?" I asked not knowing what he was referring to

"You get this look and then we end up in bed together"

"Would that be so bad?" I asked

"Usually no but right now I don't think it would be a good idea with how you're feeling"

"Didn't stop you the other night"

"No but you were better then you are now"

"Fine your loss" I said shrugging my shoulders as I walked out of the bedroom only to be pinned to the wall and kissed senseless by a very hot and sexy Cuban.

"JERK" I called out when he broke the kiss and headed out of the door. Damn him for turning me on even more

Later in the day, I took a break from my work and decided that this would be the right time to call Dr. Masso. I explained to the nurse why I was calling and she asked if I could come in later this evening, telling her yes I hung up the phone and started to freak out.

Walking down to Carlos's office I knocked and walked in. Seeing the look I had in my eyes he dismissed his second in command and patted his legs for me to come to him.

"You called?" he asked knowing exactly what was wrong

"Yes"

"When?"

"Four o'clock"

"Want me to go with you?" he asked rubbing my forearm as he held me

"No that's not necessary. I can do this all by myself"

"If you need me.."

"I know, just be here after I get back" I said knowing that after each heartbreaking appointment I'd break down on seven after my Husband would meet me in the garage after I pulled in. I had a feeling that I was gonna need them again when I got back. Sitting inside Carlos's office on his lap with his strong arms around me I felt nothing could touch me.


	12. Chapter 12

Sitting in my car outside of the building that I was parked at, I watched as the people mainly women walked in and out. Most of the women I saw were pregnant and it didn't seem fair. Some of the women had big round bellies, some had just a small baby bump, and some of them were still flat in the stomach but there was no mistaken the glow they had letting you know they were indeed pregnant.

As I sat there watching them I thought to myself how I did not want to get out of my car, I did not want to walk across the parking lot to the building, and I did not want to go inside. I knew what was waiting for me inside of there and I did not want to be a part of it. Glancing at the clock on my dashboard for the fiftieth time I saw that my pity party time was over. Grabbing my bag from the passenger's side seat I slid out of my car to go do what I didn't want to do.

"Hello" the smiley receptionist said to me as I came in and began to sing my name on the sign in paper

"Hello"

"Who are we here to see today?" she asked and I thought it was a stupid question because it was Dr. Masso's office but I knew some people just get to see the nurse for something's.

"Dr. Masso" I answered her

"Ok, just have a seat it won't be to long"

"Thanks"

I turned around and saw they the waiting room was virtually empty considering the foot traffic that I had seen. I picked up a magazine that was discarded from another patient and began to leaf through it. After a few minutes of nervosa flipping I heard the door in front of me open and saw a slim woman in pink scrubs come out carrying a folder.

"Stephanie Manoso" she called and I laid the magazine down and stood up

"Follow me" she warmly said and we took off behind the door. I knew where we were going; I did this every time I came here.

"Please step up on the scale for me" she asked and I did. I hated this part. When Carlos came with me when I first started coming here I would shield the numbers so he couldn't see.

"All right you can hop off now and we'll go down to your room"

Walking in I went onto auto pilot, I knew the drill so well. I was to sit on the bed and answer the questions the nurse would ask me as she took my blood pressure and my vitals. I almost laughed when she turned to me and began asking me the exact things I was just thinking about.

"So what's the reason for your visit with us today?"

"I'm having some issues with my period I think. I've got all my normal signs that I'm going to start but I haven't "

"Ok" she said jotting down what I told her and the results of my BP and heart rate " Dr. Masso will be in shortly she is just finishing up with a patient but while you are waiting go ahead and take off your clothes and put this gown on and here is a sheet to place around you"

"Ok no problem" I told her and she smiled at me as she took my chart and walked out of the door

When she closed the door and I heard it click into place I numbly slid off the table and began to undress. As I slid my panties down and kicked them over to my pile of clothing it was all I could do to keep the tears from falling. Composing myself I slid the gown on making sure the opening was in the front and hopped back upon the table, wrapping my legs up in the sheet.

"Hello Stephanie sorry to keep you waiting, how are we today?"

"I'm all messed up"

"Oh? Why don't you tell me what's going on and we'll see what we can do for you"

"The last time I was here I hadn't started my period yet and you told me that I probably had two fertile days left and that I should make the most of them "

"Yes"

"Well I did" I said thinking of Lester for a brief second and then the time I slept with my husband after Lester which was not the morning I got back but the next day.

"OK so you think maybe you're pregnant?"

"No I don't really know what's going on. I'm so irregular now since we have been trying so when I started feeling this way I just assume I'm about to start my period but I've checked and checked for weeks and nothing has came yet. It's really starting to get on mine and everyone's nerves"

"All right Steph tell me what you're experiencing" she asked me taking out her pen and opening my chart

"Well first I was always tired, I still am. I can't seem to want to wake up and find myself forcing myself to stay awake" I told her thinking back to when I fell asleep on Hal "Then I snap at my loved ones and then tearfully apologize because the guilt of doing it tears me up. Usually when I get like this it's when I'm going to start"

"OK is there anything else?"

"Yes I fainted"

"You fainted?"

"Yes I was working with a friend of mine and I fell asleep in the car after we had ate lunch and when I woke up to get out of the car because we had gotten home I got really hot and sweaty and just didn't feel right. I couldn't focus on my friend to yell for help because my vision was funny but he said I called for him anyway before I fainted in the elevator"

"Ok" she said madly scribbling down the info I was telling her

"Anything else?" she asked

"Well today I woke up slightly nauseated. It just seems like its getting worse as times go by. My body is turning on itself"

"Stephanie you said you never did start your period since I last saw you?"

"No it's the one I'm waiting on that's causing me this grief. Usually I start shortly after coming here and testing but it hasn't come. My husband's Medic said it probably was stress from trying to conceive was the reason it was late"

"Possibly but is there a reason that you might be pregnant?"

"Yea I have had sex after I left here" I told her thinking to myself I told her I had taken her advice of making the most of the fertile days I had

"All right Steph lay back" she said picking the foot of the table up and placing it under my legs so I was laying flat

"Have you noticed tenderness in your breast?" she asked taking a look at them

"Yes but I always do when my period is coming"

"OK I'm going to perform a general pelvic on you and then I want to test you again for pregnancy"

"Ok" I said nodding my head as she told me to scootch down and place my heels into the stirrups. God how I hated this exam

"OK here you go, you know what to do" she said handing me a small plastic cup after she had washed her hands

Nodding my head and taking the cup from her I shuffled across the hall to the small bathroom where I filled the cup. I sat the sample into the little metal box that was built into the wall and washed up before going back across the hall to wait to hear about my fate. When Doctor Masso returned from doing my test she brought in with her a computer on wheels. After she sat it up and turned it on she came to my side and looked at me, sliding her hand into her Doctors coat she brought out a long rectangular plastic thing. Handing it over to me I looked at her confused.

"What's this?" I asked looking at the small plastic thing in my hand

"It's a pregnancy test" she said.

I began wondering why she would show me the test. She never had before. Looking at the thing I saw it had two dark pink lines in the little viewing window. Looking at it again I knitted my brows together not understanding what she was wanting me to know.

"Congratulations Stephanie your Pregnant"

"What?" I asked looking up at her

"You're pregnant"

"I'm pregnant?" I asked not believing what she was saying to me. After hearing fifteen no's and feeling like there wouldn't be any end in sight to my heartache you get skeptical about hearing Yes.

"Yes Steph you are. I know what you're thinking and I understand it's been a long hard road but your test came back positive this time. I brought my ultrasound machine in so we could locate and see your baby"

"My baby?" I asked placing my hand onto my stomach. Was there finally something in there?

"Yes your baby" she said nudging me gently to lie back so she could perform the ultrasound

Dr. Masso opened my gown and squirted some warm blue gel onto my stomach. She then took the wand and began to glide it over my tummy.

"There it is, there's your baby" she announced bringing the screen closer so I could see the black and white picture.

When I saw what she was pointing to I lost it, tears fell out of my eyes and ran down the side of my face. For once the tears I was crying weren't tears of heartache they were tears of joy as I continued to look at the little blob on the screen.

"I'm pregnant"

"Yes, would you like for me to print you a picture?"

"YES OH MY GOD YES" I screamed thinking of taking the picture and showing Carlos

After all these months of trying and failing and trying and failing I was finally pregnant my heartache was over, I was going to have a baby, WE were going to have a baby. I couldn't wait to get out of there I wanted to run home and tell Carlos that we were pregnant.

"Here you go" Dr. Masso said handing me the picture of my ultra sound

"Can I have this too?" I asked holding up the pregnancy test

"Of course" she said smiling knowing that she had made me so happy

"I want to see you next month for a better check up and we can't talk about all the things we need to do now that your pregnant" she said tearing off a slip of paper from a pad from her pocket "these are prenatal vitamins I want you to start taking them and take good care of yourself" she said

"I will" I said hopping off the table and throwing my clothes on. I couldn't bear to be in that office another minute I had a husband to go to.

Rushing out of the little examing room I only stopped for a minute to make my next appointment. Running to my car I jammed the key into the ignition and peeled out of the parking lot. Arriving back at RangeMan in record time I looked around for Carlos, he was always there waiting on me when I'd get back from my appointments. Not seeing him I took off to the elevator and wondered where he could be, punching five I bounced around in the elevator like I had jumping beans in my pants.

"Where's Ranger?" I asked in passing to one of the guys in the control room

"Meeting with the core team, something's came up"

"Thanks" I yelled back as I ran to the conference room I knew that they'd be in

Flinging the door open I found Carlos standing in his usual spot at the head of the table going over whatever they were discussing. When he heard the door bang open he quickly along with the others looked my way to see who had interrupted.

"Stephanie" he said his eyes filling with concern as he saw my present state

I ran to my husband not caring who else was in the room at the time. When I got to him he grabbed a hold of me and looked me over. As I looked into his eyes my own eyes filled with tears.

"Babe?" he questioned


	13. Chapter 13

When I found out that I was pregnant I couldn't wait to run to Carlos and tell him. Now that I was standing in front of him and seeing him for the first time after receiving the news, all I could do was cry as the emotions over took me. Wrapping his arms around me, Carlos hugged me too him and I heard the faint sounds of chairs being pushed across the carpeting behind me. I knew the guys were probably wondering what was going on but I just couldn't say anything.

"Babe" he said to me again and I knew he wanted me and needed me to talk to him to help him understand what was going on but I just couldn't, I was so overwhelmed with emotions and I was overjoyed as well that I was finally pregnant. Carlos held me for a moment more before he pulled back cupping my cheek in his hand.

"Stephanie what is it? Did Dr. Masso find something?" he asked as he guided me over to one of the plush leather chairs on wheels that they used in the conference room

"Yes" I said nodding my head wiping tears with my fingers

"Ok what did she find out?" he asked worry laced in his voice

I took out the small black and white ultrasound picture that was given to me and held it out to Carlos. He looked down at the picture and knitted his eyebrows together. Looking back at me I held it out more for him to take it from me.

"What is this?" he asked looking over the picture

Taking one of my hands I placed it over on to his and brought it over to lie on my stomach. Tears fell as the memory of him doing this when we first started trying to conceive came back to memory. Carlos would lay his hand on my tummy and kiss it after we'd finish making love believing there was something created inside of there.

"That" I said referring to the picture in his hand "is our baby"

"Our baby?"

"Yes, Carlos I'm pregnant" I told him squeezing his hand that was on my stomach

"What?"

"I'm pregnant. I'm finally pregnant. We are going to have a baby" I told him giggling because when Dr. Masso told me I was pregnant that was my initial reaction too.

"You're pregnant" he said matter of factly and you could just see his wheels turning in his head. I wondered if that was how I looked when I was told.

"Yes we're pregnant" I said again

"Your preg… REALLY and your fine, nothing's wrong?" he asked knowing I was going to the Doctors because I wasn't feeling all that well and something was going on with my cycle

"I'm fine turns out everything that was going on was due to pregnancy"

A huge smile came across Carlos's face as he yanked me up from my chair and spun me around the room crushing me to his hard chest as he brought me back to my feet.

"I love you"

"I love you" I told him as he placed a finger under my chin and kissed me

"Ranger?" We heard coming from the corner of the room. We broke apart from our private celebration to see that Tank had re-entered the room "we heard a commotion and wondered if everything was ok in here" he said looking at me. They had all saw me burst into the room and make my way to Ranger in tears.

Ranger looked over at me and gave me one of his heart stopping smiles as he kept me snuggled into his side "Everything is fine, Steph is ok" he told him " tell everyone that they can come back in now"

"OK" Tank told him and motioned for everyone to return back into the conference room

I watched as my friends, the core team of RangeMan filed into the room taking their seats once again around the long rectangle wood table. I wondered what they would say or do when Carlos reveals to them that I'm pregnant. I smiled knowing that our friends would be overjoyed with the news and excited for us. As I studied and looked over each one of the guys my eyes landed on Lester and I felt the ground beneath me move and not in a good way. In my happiness to finally be pregnant I had completely forgotten for a minute about what Lester and I had done.

There was a very good possibility that the baby I'm carrying is that of Lester Santos. I did sleep with him during my most fertile days; closing my eyes I felt that hot fuzzy feeling come over me again. Forcing myself to open my eyes and not get sucked into the abyss, I made myself focus because this was a good day and we were about to share with our friends some news we'd been wanting to forever. Looking back at Lester I saw his concerned face and knew he was eagerly waiting to know what was going on.

"I have an announcement to make" Carlos began and everyone turned their attention to him "Stephanie and I have something we would like to share with you all. We have been trying to start a family and today she just told me that she is pregnant" My Husband said to the room of men placing an arm around my waist and squeezing me.

"So that's what was causing all of this?" Bobby spoke up and I nodded my head

"Well Damn"

All the guys erupted into choruses of congratulations, ways to go's, and high fives they were happy to hear that their boss and his wife were going to have a little RangeBaby. It didn't take long for their celebrating to turn from themselves to me. Each one of the guys came up either hugging me or kissing me; they were thrilled with the thought of becoming uncles.

"This is how it's supposed to be" I thought as I saw the joy that was being celebrated around the room. This was how I pictured my life being like, having a baby with my husband and sharing the excitement with our family. Turning back to look at Carlos I saw Lester coming up to us, my heart started pounding and racing as he approached. Lester is a smart man and if he really put any thought to it he would figure out that this could possibly be his baby. By passing his cousin, Lester came over to me, picked me up, and spun me around. What was it with this family and the spinning thing?

"Congratulations Beautiful, I so can't wait to be Uncle Lester" he said sitting me down. You could see that he had a little more pride in me being pregnant since we were really family.

"You won't be" Carlos told him

"Huh?"

"You're my cousin, you'd have to be my brother or Stephanie's to be an uncle"

"OH" he said looking and sounded so deflated

I was starting to feel sick and it had nothing to do with me being pregnant. I needed to get out of there, being with the two men that id slept with and now that I'm pregnant by one of them was doing my head in, I felt like I was suffocating. Smiling at both of them I excused myself and told Carlos that I needed to use the bathroom. Looking back at all the guys happily celebrating the good news we'd shared, I quickly dashed out the door and down the hall. Once I got finished with my business in the bathroom, I took the small picture out of my pocket and traced the little blob that was my baby with my finger.

"Lester MIGHT have created you but you ARE a Manoso" I said to it looking up and staring at myself in the mirror


	14. Chapter 14

For the next eight months my pregnancy progressed like normal. The only thing besides the symptoms and phases of pregnancy that bothered me was Lester. Lester has me all stressed out and I know the guilt and the stress had to of made each symptom ten times worse for me. When I got morning sickness I didn't only get sick and puke in the mornings but I was sick everyday all day long. Bobby being a Medic tried to help me but nothing he tried seemed to help.

I also got very paranoid and panicked. I would constantly watch to see if Lester would go in and talk to Ranger alone and then if they did meet I would worry myself to death until I knew it was nothing more than shop talk. My doctor warned me that I needed to relax because she could see that I was so tense. I told her it was just preparing for the baby and becoming a first time mother. No way was I telling her that I slept with my friend to get his sperm so that I could get pregnant and pass along the baby as my husbands. Lester never did act any differently towards me, if he had any thoughts on the baby he never let on or said a word which makes me wonder does he have any thoughts and he is just abiding to his promise that he wouldn't say anything or does he not really know that it could be his?

When Carlos found out I was pregnant he told me right away that I no longer would be allowed to do any type of field work by myself or with him or any of the guys, he had desk bound me. Me being me wanted to fight him over this but he brought out the big guns when he told me that me and now our baby were the loves of his life and he wouldn't be able to live if he knew I was in harm's way or injured somehow. I then knew anything I said or did wouldn't change his mind so I chose to humor him and his men. It was nice to know that he and the guys loved me so much but it did have a limit when I have to go shopping for maternity bra's and undies, then it's not so nice to have a two hundred plus pound man shadowing you.

The Guys at RangeMan were great. They accepted and welcomed this baby with open arms. After we announced that we were expecting the next morning I came down to work there was a huge banner hung up that said congratulations Ranger and Stephanie. There were even talks of how they would train their new recruit to be a RangeMan. This worried me, I knew what these men went thru and I didn't want my baby to have to go thru this but I know with it being part Carlos it will be its decision to follow in its father's footsteps or not. These big guys were so excited and so looking forward to this baby's birth. They loved every minute of my pregnancy from the puking to the weird food cravings and the just being awkward stages. They all loved to come and lay their hands on my stomach and feel how firm it was getting and when it started kicking they all tried to be the one it would kick first. I never minded them touching my stomach it was sweet to watch these hard as stone men's faces when a flutter or a foot could be felt. They only time I really minded and became uncomfortable about it was when Lester would do it.

When Lester would put his hands on me my heart rate would speed up. He wasn't doing anything that the others weren't doing but just because it was him and because of what went on between us I just couldn't handle it. I never forgot the night we shared but when he had his hands on me and my baby I could see it so clear. I tried to read him when he would sit and touch me but all I could see was nothing. He would just smile and fell my tummy. Lester always seemed like Lester, enjoying the experience with the rest of the guys. I only the other hand was a basket case inside fearing that someday his eyes would be opened and he would figure out that the baby inside of me could very well be his. And when that happens our lives would be destroyed.

"I'm not going to let that happen" I said as I rubbed me own belly as I sat in the examing room waiting on Dr. Masso to come in "you are Carlos's baby no one else's no matter what"

Dr. Masso opened the door to the room and came in smiling at me. She was always thrilled to see me since I was one of her success cases. She walked over and read my chart and then turned her attention onto me.

"Well how is Mom feeling today? She asked

"Huge" I answered her rubbing my hands on the sides of my large eight month pregnant belly

"Yea about every woman says that right at the last of the pregnancy but think of what will come soon, your beautiful baby boy. How are the contractions?"

I thought of my son soon coming into this world "they are still there I get a few each day"

When Carlos and I found out we were having a boy he was ecstatic, he was on cloud nine. He would have a son to carry on the Manoso name and be a little replica of his father. My husband has a daughter but with circumstances he's not all that involved in her life. He is closer to her in the past few years but still not what you would think a father and daughter would be. I guess for Carlos this baby, our baby would be his chance to start over and redeem himself for not being in Julie's life.

"Ok Steph lie back and let me take a look" She said and I grimaced. I hated this exam more than anything. I couldn't figure out was this exam worse than the dentist or was the dentist worse? Sometimes I hated being a woman.

"So where is Daddy?" Dr. Masso asked as she helped me place my heels into the stirrups. Ever since I had gotten pregnant Carlos had never missed an appointment.

"Work" I said looking up to the ceiling as my gown was brought up over my knees leaving me to feel so exposed "He was all set to bring me and be here but at the last minute a client unexpectedly showed up and he had to deal with them"

"Ahhh so one of those big men of his is chauffeuring you around this morning"

"Yea I haven't been able to drive in forever thanks to my belly not allowing the wheel to turn"

"Yea, ok Step him going to start now"

Dr. Masso rolled up between my legs and I closed my eyes and held my breath when I felt her start to push and prod with her fingers. I tried to relax but I hated this part, I hoped it would all be over soon. I felt everything stop and then saw Dr. Masso stand up.

"Well I'm going to make you another appointment but I don't think it will be here that I will see you" she said snapping off her latex gloves

"Huh?" I asked turning my head on the table trying to look at her

"Let me get washed up and I'll tell you what I saw"

"Ok " I said getting scared. She saw something and I felt it wasn't something good

Dr. Masso came back drying her hands on several brown paper towels. After tossing them into the trash can by the sink she helped me to sit back up. "Stephanie" she said sitting back on her little rolly stool "you have dilated a few centimeters. Now don't worry you could go on like this for weeks but you also could go into active labor anytime. This is all perfectly normal so please don't get scared"

"I'm in labor?"

"Pre labor. Like I said ill set you up another appointment but I don't know if you'll make it until then. If you do then great but if not I'll be seeing you and Daddy in the hospital"

"Oh" it all hitting me what she was saying

"It's not exact, we will just play it day by day and if it happens it happens. I'll be on call" she told me writing in my chart

"Wow"

"Yea" she said smiling at me "you're gonna be a mommy soon. My suggestion for you and your Husband is get prepared. Pack your bags with stuff you'll need at the hospital, get all your affairs in order, and RELAX"

"Thank you Doctor we will" I said slowly siding off the table to get redressed

"It's my pleasure" she said as she walked with me up to the front of the office where I stopped and made my next appointment. When I stepped out into the waiting room, Bobby came to stand by my side.

"Oh and Steph if you want walking can help labor progress and a lot of women swear by sex" Dr. Masso said and I looked up to Bobby who looked down at me shocked

"Dr. Masso has found that I am a few centimeters dilated" I told him

"Oh God you're in labor?" he asked and I could see his wheels turning. Code Stephanie was about to be sounded.

"Pre Labor" my doctor told him coming to my rescue and successfully disarming the alarm "it means she could stay like this for a few more weeks or she could go at any time"

I watched as my friend and the RangeMan medic paled at the mention of me going into labor. This man has seen horrific things and lots of blood yet the thought of me doing it had him panicked. Everyone knew this was coming, it was going to happen and the only way they could see this baby was for it to happen, but I didn't blame them who wanted to have to hear and deal with a screaming banshee. It was something were all were not looking forward too. Placing my hand onto Bobby's large arm he looked down at me.

"I feel ya big guy. I'm thinking the same things" I told him and watched as his eyes softened

"We'll be ok Bomber. When the time comes we will all be there for you, you just concentrate on our next recruit" he said laying his big hand onto my stomach

"Oh I am" I said looking down at his hand

"Bye Steph ill see you soon" Dr. Masso called out as I wrapped my arm around Bobby's as we walked out of the office door


	15. Chapter 15

Sitting on the side of the bed, I was clutching myself trying t breath through a contraction. Carlos had already came back in from his work out and was in the shower, I knew that it was almost time for him to be out and when he sees me like this he was going to be worried if it hadn't passed by then. My contractions had plagued me for days and my Doctor assured me that they were ok but now they have started to be a little more frequent and harder. Carlos got worried about how strong they were getting when I was doubled over one time in my cubicle that he called Dr. Masso. She told him to monitor my progression but that I was in the early stages of labor, she also told him that when they started coming harder and faster with minutes parting them then call her and we would go from there, until then we keep our appointment with her.

"Babe" I heard as the bathroom door opened

"It's ok" I called out through clenched teeth

"Breath Babe, I got you" he said hurrying over to my side of the bed rubbing my back

"I'm trying but it isn't releasing yet" I told him as I looked over to see his thigh. Carlos crouched down and dabbed the sweat with his towel that had started to form from the contraction on my forehead.

"In through the nose and out through the mouth, slow deep breaths"

Listening to my Husbands calm assuring voice, I did as he coached. I took in a deep breath as much as I could and let it out slowly through my mouth. After a few rounds of Carlos telling me how to breath the contraction passed leaving me spent.

"That one seemed to be a strong one are you ok?" he asked in a deep calming voice

"Yea, I'm just tired now" I told him slowly righting myself and rolling around on the bed to lie down

"Maybe we should call Dr. Masso again"

"No, they are still hours apart, she will only tell you that this is a part of it and I still have a ways to go.. Unfortunately" I tell him trying to find a comfy spot to lie in

"Babe they are getting bad"

"Yes I know and I love that you're nervous for me but there isn't anything we can do and from what I'm told they are going to be getting a lot worse"

Carlos placed his hand on the side of my tummy and rubbed soothing circles around it, he began speaking to the baby. I listened with my eyes closed as he told our son to ease up on his Mommy and be good to me. I appreciate him trying to fix things for me and usually he can but this time I'm afraid it is out of his hands. My Husband hated seeing me in pain but our son wasn't going to be following his Daddy's commands. From what Dr. Masso had told me and from the internet research on giving birth that I had done it was going to get a lot worse before it gets better. Carlos leaned down and kissed the side of my head.

"Rest Babe, I'm going to step out and let Tank know I'm staying up here with you today"

"No"

"Babe?"

"Carlos please go down to work I'm fine" I told him

"Babe I don't want to leave you like this"

"You're not, you'll only be three floors down and if anything happens I'll call you. Go work for a few hours until our appointment that way you can get things in order just in case" I told him as he sat there assessing what I was telling him. "Go I'll be fine, I'm just going to rest and then when I get up ill do some walking around. If you stay all your going to be doing is watching me sleep and that will be so boring to you. Go on down to five while you still have a chance too because later on ill need you"

"But your contractions?'

"With how it's been going I won't have another one for a few more hours, go Ranger please"

Ranger leaned down and kissed me so tenderly. When he broke the kiss he looked down at me and our eyes locked. I told him once more to go, that I was ok being left alone right now. I also reminded him that when I go for my walk I was in a secure building and if anything went on while I was on my walk one of his men would be there. He looked conflicted, he didn't know if he should be the dutiful husband and stay with his very pregnant contracting wife or do as she said and take this time to get things in order just in case.

"Go" I told him

"I'll just be down stairs"

"I know"

If anything happens"

"I'll call" I promised him again

"I love you"

"I know you do and I love you" I told him

When Carlos finally left the bedroom I listened as he paced around the living room for a while. I knew what he was doing he didn't want to go but knew what I told him was true. Finally after killing as much time as he thought he could I heard the front door of the apartment shut as he left the room. I know that he loves me and that I'm high on his priority list, even more now that I'm pregnant and about to give birth to our son, but I also know that his company and his reputation is high on that list too. It was ok for him to leave and go down to work because later when the contractions really start to intensify I'm gonna need him and I won't want him to leave my side. Dr. Masso gave me the same advice when I found out I was in pre labor, she said get everything in order because soon I won't be able to when I go into full blown labor.

After I woke up from my nap my energy level seemed to be up and stable. I rolled out of bed and went to the bathroom to take care of a very pressing need. It seems that the baby loves to lie on my bladder causing me to run as best as I can right now to the bathroom. After coming out of the bathroom I walked into the dressing room and picked out a nice big thin cotton dress for my walk. Dr. Masso told me before I left my last appointment with her that walking and sex could get things rolling. Well I can for sure say that Carlos and I have tried what the good Doctor had suggested.

"Hey Bomber, doing your rounds?" I heard Cal call to me as I walked into the Lobby. It was odd to see one of the core team pulling Lobby duty but Carlos wanted them all to be sharp on all RangeMan jobs.

"Yea" I told him coming up to his desk to chat for a while. The lobby was my last stop before I would take the elevator back up to five to see what I could get into there.

"Is he ever going to come out and see us?" he asked. Everyone there was on high baby alert as soon as it got around that I was in Pre-labor. Everyone also knew what I was doing and what all the walking was about.

"I think it's getting close" I said patting my son

"It's really going to be something to have a baby around here; I never thought there would be a day when a baby would be a new fixture in the building"

"Yea it's going to be different"

When the telephone rang I said good bye to Cal so that he could answer it. I made my way over to the elevator and punched the number five button. I was going to visit with some of the men and then hang out in Ranger's office until it was time to go to our appointment. As I rode the car up the different floors I thought about how my life was perfect. I had the man of my dreams and soon I was going to have our baby that we had always wanted.

When the Elevator dinged letting me know that I had arrived on the fifth floor I waited a second until the doors slid open. When they did my heart stopped dead in my chest as Ranger and Lester were standing there staring at me. I had no reason to be afraid of these two men in my life but when I saw them together like that it brought back the night I shared with Lester.

"Hi Babe" My Husband said smiling warmly at me as I stepped off the elevator "how are you feeling?"

"I'm uhh better. After my nap I felt a lot better so I thought I walk and then come bug everybody down here"

"Cuz told me what's been going on that your contractions are getting stronger"

"Yea" I said not wanting to look at him for some reason

Lester came over to me and placed his hand onto my stomach. It had been almost nine months since id done anything with him but still even though we said we would just be like we usually are sometimes when Les is around I want to turn and run the other way. I know of course I can't do that, I had to remain calm and act like normal. If I did do or say something out of the ordinary then Carlos will suspect something.

My breath hitched as Lester placed an arm around my waist, he was only trying to be helpful and guide me to sit down in a nearby chair but when I looked up into his eyes I saw the same dark green ones that roughly pulled me to him that night in the motel room and took me.

"Excuse me, I need to go to the bathroom" I said side stepping out of his embrace. I know that he was only helping but I felt that Ranger could see and somehow just by this innocent touch our secret would be out. Shutting the door to the bathroom I took several deep breaths.

"God you have got to get a grip. You can't be thins jumpy every time he is around you" well I wasn't jumpy every time he was around me just when he and Ranger were together. Somehow I always felt something would be said or done that would reveal everything.

"You are fixing to give birth to Carlos's baby you have to get Lester off your mind" I said but that was easier said than done. I didn't think of him sexually or anything but there wasn't a day that went by that I didn't think about Les and what we done. Splashing some water on my face, I placed my hands over my son.

"You are Carlos Manoso's son and no one else's even if you were made by another man's sperm" I told him and felt a kick into my hand

"That's right you know your Daddy" I said from the countless of nights he spoke to my stomach when we laid down together for bed. Looking up to the ceiling I said a small prayer "please God"

When I made my way out of the bathroom I had a moment of panic when I thought maybe he overheard some of the things I was saying to my son and myself. I watched with angst as he walked up to me and pulled me into him the best as he could with my huge belly in the way. He asked if I was ok and then leaned down to give me a soft short kiss. I assured him I was and gave him a kiss back.

"It's time to go to the appointment are you ready or do you need to go upstairs first?"

"No I'm fine" I told him as we got onto the elevator. I was so pregnant and so uncomfortable that I didn't care that I was wearing something that I felt looked like a tent on me, it was all about comfort now and being able to move as much as I can.

"I think you look beautiful" Carlos told me

"How did you know I was thinking along the lines like that?"

"I can always tell what you're thinking Babe" he said pulling me too him for a sweet and sensual kiss

Let me tell you even though I was nearly nine months pregnant, contracting, and could barley move, and sex should be the farthest thing from my mind but when you have a hot sexy husband as I do and with how he was kissing me, I was ready to forget the doctors and head to bed, Contractions be damned.

"MMM" I moaned into the kiss and felt Carlos smile

"Feel good?" he asked as he traveled to my neck

"Yea.. Ohhhhh"

"OHHHHHH"

"Babe?"Carlos questioned when I abruptly pulled away from him

"Contraction, bad contraction" I said going down to my knees. Luckily Carlos was there because he grabbed me and held me up before I hit the ground

"Ok Babe breath like we did earlier, in out in out" he said. I tried to do as he said but with this one there was so much pain and this intense pressure that I had never felt before, it felt like I was going to pass out.

"It hurts" I told him

"I know Babe just breath"

"Ut oh"

"What?" he asked looking me over

"I'm not sure because it's never happened before but I think my water just broke"

"SHIT" Carlos called out jumping quickly into Ranger mode. He swept me off my feet and ran with me to one of the truck when the doors finally opened to the garage floor.

"WE GOTTA GET YOU TO THE HOSPITAL"

"No take me to Dr. Masso's" I told him as he shoved the key into the ignition and backed out

Ranger wove in and out of the traffic and I think he even ran a red light or two getting me to the Doctor's office in record time. Helping me into the office Ranger told the receptionist behind the desk to get Dr. Masso NOW!

"Stephanie, Carlos what's going on" Dr. Masso asked rushing over to me when she saw us

"She thinks her water just broke"

"How long from then to now?"

"About ten minutes" Ranger told her as I began to double over as another contraction hot me

"Janice" Dr. Masso called over my shoulder "Call nine one one and tell them that one of my patients is in labor and to hurry"

Dr. Masso told Ranger to bring me inside one of her examing rooms until the ambulance arrived. Carlos effortlessly picked me up and carried me into the first room he came to and gently laud me down onto the bed.

"You ok?" he asked me sweeping my hair off my face

"Nooo " I said trying to roll into a ball

"I know Babe just breath for me, in out in out"

"How long has this been going on?" Dr. Masso asked when she came into the room

"Just now, we were on our way here and it happened"

"Well I guess I was somewhat right in saying I would see you on your next appointment"

"Ha-ha yea" I said as the contraction released

Ranger told her about the contractions being hard today. Then he told her about the worse contraction was the one in the elevator as we were coming here. Dr. Masso snapped on some gloves and I cringed knowing that sound all too well. She lifted up my dress and began feeling and looking around.

"OWWW" I called out and Dr. Masso quickly apologized

"Stephanie you water did break and you have dilated some more but still not all the way" she was saying when there was a knock on the door

"Paramedics are here" one of the nurses told us

"Ok" Dr. Masso said tossing her gloves away and stepping out of the way to let them in "This is Stephanie Manoso she is in labor with her first child" She told them as they gathered around looking at me

The EMT's swooped in and carried me to their bed that was parked in the hall. Dr. Masso came over before they wheeled me out and told me and Ranger that they would get me settled into a room and she would see the rest of her clients and then shut down and be over, shaking my head the ambulance team rolled me out.


	16. Chapter 16

You know when you make the decision to have or want a baby you don't think of the agonizing hours of pain you have to go through to get that little bundle of joy. All we do think about and I did to at the time before I became obsessed about conceiving is the cute little baby that smells so good and them dressed in their cute little clothes, and then all the ooohing and ahhhing of the friends and relatives that come to see your amazing accomplishment.

When they finally rolled me into my birthing room, I watched as nurses and techs came out of the wood work. Each one threw their names at me and sat about doing the task they were assigned. After the flurry of excitement I was wired to an IV, a contraction monitor, and a baby heart rate machine, and a whole slew of other lines and contraptions.

"Is all of this really necessary to have a baby?" I asked Carlos as the last of the people left my room

"Yes Babe, they all help do something" he told me looking around the room at everything they had me hooked up to

"How are you doing?"

"I'm ok for now the last contraction died off a few minutes ago" I told him as he kissed my forehead

I contracted every ten minutes for the next two hours. During that time Carlos would hold my hand, comb thru my wet hair, and even climbed into bed with me to help me with the pain. He never failed in coaching me as I went through this awful process of having our baby.

"You're doing great Babe" he assured me through a really bad one

"I don't know if I can do this. I'm not actually having the baby yet and I'm already so exhausted just from the contractions and its going to get worse"

"You are actually having the baby this is all a part of it and I know you can do this, you have to if you want to see your son soon"

"It feels like he is ripping my insides out"

"Shhh Babe just rest your next contraction will be coming soon and you will need all your strength for later" he gently told me rubbing my back as the door to my room opened

"Hi Guys how is everything going?" Dr. Masso asked as she came in the room

"She's contracting still every ten minutes"

"yea I'm sorry this part could take the longest but the good news is you done most of your laboring at home, you're in the home stretch "

I gave a sweaty weak smile to my Doctor. I watched as she walked over to the sink in my room and washed her hands, she then took several pair of latex gloves out of the box that lay next to the sink. I was so accustomed and so familiar to seeing them coming towards me that you'd think I'd be used to then by now, but every time I heard the snap they made I cringed and wanted to hide.

"I'm going to expose you now" Dr. Masso said trying to make light of the situation

Dr. Masso rolled up the flimsy hospital gown that I was wearing all the way up until it rested under my breasts. She began by pushing on my hard stomach and smiled as she told me my son was in position and confirmed it next with an ultrasound.

"Ok Steph" she said taking that set of glows off and snapping another pair on "now for your favorite time" she said nudging my legs apart. For a little I should deny her any access at all.

"When this baby is born I'm never gonna have another pelvic done for as long as I live"

"Well I'm afraid you won't be happy then because you're not done having them. You will need a couple after you have the baby so we can see that you're healing from the birth"

"Uggg" I said in disgust laying my head back allowing her to finish the exam

"Ok everything looks right on track, it shouldn't be long now" Dr. Masso said finishing up "I'm gonna leave you two alone wile Steph completes this phase a nurse will be in and out to keep a check on you, I'll be back when it's time to get the show on the road" she said saying goodbye to us and that was over five hours ago.

When my doctor left it wasn't long until my contractions became harder and then after that they started coming only minutes apart. Once the head nurse was called and checked me out the door to my room opened and all the nurses and techs that were here when I first came in returned with a vengeance. They nearly stripped me and got me ready for the delivery then they started bringing in stuff for when the baby came. Dr. Masso bustled in and set up the bed and patted my knee in encouragement.

"Ok Baby Manoso wants to come out. Let's bring him into the world"

"I love you and I'm right here with you" Carlos said kissing me

"Ok Stephanie on your next contraction we're gonna push all right?"

"Ok" I said waiting for a minute until I felt a contraction build "ok" I said

"PUSH Steph until I count to ten"

"Push Babe" Carlos said as I dug in and pushed with all I could

"Good Steph again next contraction"

I pushed two more times and quickly exhausted myself; I fell back against the bed totally done.

"Steph you gotta push" Dr. Masso commanded

"I can't, it's too hard"

"Stephanie you have to push you can't give up now"

"Come on Babe our son needs you"

"Ranger I can't" I said using his serious name

"Stephanie you can and will" my husband firmly told me

"Ok let's do this, Carlos sit behind your wife and push her forward on her next push. Steph hon. you gotta push the heads just right there I can see it"

Ranger got into bed with me and then I was told to push again. I dig into everything I had in me and bit down to push as Carlos pushed me forward from behind.

"THAT'S IT, THAT'S IT PUSH" I heard and then felt a lot of pain as the baby's head passed through " ok hold it" I was told as they turned my son " ok one more good push for the shoulders"

"CONGRATULATIONS IT'S A BOY" Dr. Masso announced to the room as she pulled the baby from me and suctioned his mouth and nose. When I heard that first cry, I fell back onto my Husband exhausted, relived, and happy. Our baby the one we tried for so long for was here.

"OH MY GOD BABE YOU DID IT IM SO PROUD OF YOU"

I didn't have anything to say, I was too tired to talk. Since Carlos was trapped beneath me Dr. Masso cut the cord and handed the baby up to me, he was not a very happy little boy. Once I had my baby in my arms, I instantly fell in love; I couldn't take my eyes off of him. Checking him over I found him perfect with ten little toes and ten little fingers.

"Shhhh my son, no need to cry your Mommy and Daddy got you" Carlos told him as he touched his little hand. Our son instantly stopped crying and opened his eyes at us causing my heart to sink. His eyes, his eyes were green. My baby was really a Santos.

"He has green eyes"

"Yea" I said worried Ranger would suspect something and start questioning me

"Well my cousin has them too so it must be one of them rare genes"

"Yea"

After I was all fixed up and cleaned up, I was allowed to put on some real pajamas and was moved over to a room on the floor that looked just like a hotel room. As I lay in the huge comfy bed, I watched as Carlos held his son talking softly to him. My Husband was so happy and so in love with his new son. As I watched them and saw the happiness of him holding our son my heart swelled for him and I felt my decision was right not to tell him that there could be something wrong with him. Seeing him now I just couldn't have taken that away from him.

"Babe" he said when he heard me yawn "go to sleep and get some rest"

"You sure what about little man?"

"yea I'm sure, you have been through a lot today and I think I have a hold on things here" he said and I knew he did he hadn't put our son down from the moment he came back from getting checked out.

As soon as I closed my eyes, I think I was out. I had been through the ringer and was completely done in. I don't know how long I slept but when I woke up I was in a state of panic, Lester was sitting in a chair by the window staring at my son and my son was staring wide eyed back at him. There was no way that Les didn't know now, my son had the same eyes of him and by the look he was giving him you could tell a mile away that he knew.

"Lester" I managed to say and he tore his eyes away from the baby and stared at me

"Les where is Ranger?"

"Hungry so I came in to see you and offered to keep the baby until he gets back"

"Les I…" I said but he dismissed anything I had to say with a wave of his hand

I watched in fear as Lester stood and carefully walked over to the bed and handed the baby to me. We locked eyes and I could see so many emotions playing in his eyes. Taking one more look at the baby that he now knew was his, he stood up to leave.

"Les no wait" I said grabbing his wrist with my hand halting his leaving "Please understand I'm in love with another man and what he couldn't give me was the one thing that you could" I told him with tears streaming down my cheeks

Lester's eyes turned dark as he realized what our night really meant. I had used him, I had used his love for me, and now I had destroyed him. Lester jerked his hand from mine like it was on fire. I heard the door open but Lester walked back to me.

"This may sound sick but if you would have just told me the truth about what was going on I still probably would have done it just to help you because I loved you and would do anything to help you" he said and then walked out of the room for real this time

I looked towards where Lester had stood and then I looked down at my son who was sound asleep in my arms. I cuddled him to me and cried. I don't know what is going to happen next but I just hope they can forgive me.

THE END!

Thank you everyone that really supported me in this Story. It was a very hard story to write and very different for me to do one like this. The Song that I based the plot of this story on was Heart's All I wanna do is make love to you.

Tuesday or Wednesday of next week after Memorial Day I will start posting another Story. This time it will be a Steph and Tank Story (one that I usually write). Hope to see everyone come along with me on their journey.

Karren


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